An Alpha and His Cub
by PadfootIsMyHomeDawg
Summary: "In a moment, the eyes had pierced through Harry; he felt his knees weakening in response to his Pack instincts. This man was his Alpha." Harry is not happy with finding an Alpha, even a man who supposedly knew his parents. Especially with the past he tries so hard to hide, he just doesn't have room for Lupin in his life, but the man won't stop trying. ON HIATUS 12/12/15
1. Chapter 1

**I know, I know… I should really be focused on PD or even New Love, but I'm at a serious blockage on both of them, so I thought I would put up something else that I have been working on for a little while. I only have a couple of chapters done as of now, but this is really more of an experiment for me than anything. I wanted to see if I would be able to write a completely different sort of fic than I normally do – that is, I wanted to see if I would be able to make Harry something else (i.e., a werewolf). See, usually I keep him about the same person, just with different things that would make it more AU. Now I wanted to branch off a bit and see if this would work…**

**Summary: "The man looked up and peered at Harry...in a moment, the eyes had pierced through him, and he felt his knees weakening in response to his pack instincts. This man was his Alpha." Remus is Harry's Alpha, but that doesn't mean that he is happy about it. After all, no one had been there when he was bitten at age five - why should anyone care now? Never mind that he knew his parents…**

**Rated: T (for language and theme)**

**Well, enough of my babbling… Enjoy the story, and if you have any suggestions for this one, PD, or New Love, please let me know!**

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><p>He huffed as he ran from the park, away from the mean kids. What was so wrong with him? Why couldn't he make friends? He just couldn't understand it – he'd never done anything to them – nothing wrong. He didn't think so, anyway…but he was only five, so he wasn't too sure what was right and what was wrong when it came to making friends.<p>

He wasn't too sure where he was going, either, and soon he found himself on the outskirts of a dark forest that he didn't recognize. He'd never been here before, and it was getting late. He looked back at the full moon rising past the sunset, and decided that he didn't care. He didn't want to go back home, so he entered the dark forest.

About an hour later, he was sincerely regretting his decision to venture into the forest. Now he was lost, and frightened. He'd heard strange sounds for what felt like days now – shrieking and screaming in the distance, rustles under the leaves, growling under the bushes. Logically he knew that it was mainly just his imagination, but he was too jittery to focus on that thought for too long. Most of the rustles after all, were rabbits and deer running from between the bushes.

He heard another rustle right next to him and jumped, but then quickly adopted the fiercest scowl he could muster.

"Go away, Mister Rabbit!" he said, but his voice wavered a little at the last part. "You don't scare me! Go eat some carrots, or…" He wasn't quite sure what to say – why was he even scared of a rabbit? So he determinedly turned and walked away.

Suddenly something slammed into him from behind, and he cried out as he was shoved to the ground. He quickly rolled over onto his back and scrambled to get away from whatever it was that had attacked him. He couldn't see it, and his eyes darted around fearfully. He heard a deep rumbling growl, like a rabid dog would make, and leaped to his feet.

"Go away!" he shrieked hysterically, tears spilling freely from his eyes. "Leave me alone!"

Something sharp swiped at his arm from behind, and he cried out as he felt his skin tear and warm liquid flowed down his arm. He began running away from the animal that had attacked him, and he heard large paws pounding on the ground behind him, leaping after him.

Then the animal leapt over his head, and he caught a glimpse of a long, lean body covered in dark brown fur, a long snout, and sharp teeth dripping in drool. The animal landed in front of him and turned to snarl at him, and he didn't even have the presence of mind to be able to identify what kind of animal it was. It did remind him of a wolf though, sort of – but this was the largest man-like wolf he'd ever seen.

He screamed and didn't even turn around, beginning to run backwards away from the animal, unable to take his eyes off the demonic-like eyes and the slavering mouth.

The wolf-like creature seemed to grin at his fear before it suddenly leaped again, knocking the little boy to the ground on his back, paws pressed to keep him down. The wolf threw its head back and howled a long, bone-chilling howl – a howl of triumph. Then the head descended, jaws open, biting with powerful force into the little boy below him.

The boy shrieked a shrill wail of pain and agony as the full moon continued to twinkle innocently down.

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>

**P.S. The updates for this will probably be a bit sporadic, as it's not my main focus right now :/**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yay! An update – and so soon! You should feel special - I must like you guys… :-)

...

Remus exhaustedly put one foot in front of the other, and then the other, making his arduous way forward.

_Just a few more steps…_

He wasn't usually so tired, but it was just minutes before the full moon, and he had just glimpsed a cave in which he could transform in. He knew that the wolf would probably find a way out after having transformed, but the cave would muffle the sounds of his screams, at least a little bit. No one was around for miles, but one could never be too careful.

Normally he also had a set place for transforming into his wolf form, but he had been on a mission for the past week that had taken all of his time. That mission was finding his dead best friend's missing son.

He vividly remembered the day that he had gone to see the child again at the home he'd been living in with his Muggle relatives. He had always tried to see him a couple of times each year to make sure that he was alright, but this time he had been delayed for various reasons. It had been two weeks shy of the boy's sixth birthday when he began his watch, but after several days and no sign of Harry, he had gone to the door with some excuse or another, and eventually found out that Harry wasn't there; apparently he had run away from his home several months before, and the Muggles hadn't even bothered to report it. He'd been furious, but overshadowing the fury was the worry over the boy he saw as his own cub. Since then, all of his worries had been over finding the lost boy. Who knew what had happened to him?

He had been making discreet inquiries everywhere he thought of, and it was in the last place he would've expected that he got a lead. He had made some offhand comment to a werewolf acquaintance of his, and had learned that there was a wild boy with vivid green eyes and black hair that sometimes ran with the pack he was in. He hadn't given more information than that, other than that the boy was young, and he always left before anyone could really talk to him when they transformed back.

Of course Remus didn't want to believe that the now ten-year-old was a werewolf, but how many other boys Harry's age had black hair and bright green eyes? The chances were fairly slim that it was just a random boy that ran with his semi-friend's pack.

So he'd begun searching known Dark forests, starting with the ones closest to Little Whinging. Those had been useless, but he kept trying. He'd never been so thankful that he was a werewolf that he would be able to catch Harry's scent if he was close.

But now it was the full moon, and Remus was stumbling into the darkened cave. He wished he could just sleep, but he knew he was going to be exhausted the next day due to being awake the whole night. The wolf inside of him had been pacing restlessly, not allowing him to sleep when he lied down for the past week, but now that he would be actually transformed, it would be worse. The past several moons without Harry, worrying about his cub, had been getting progressively worse, and Moony was getting more aggressive, resulting in more injuries to his body and therefore requiring more time to heal.

He finally entered the cave, making it just into the darkness when he felt the familiar shiver travel from the top of his scalp and down his spine. The transformation was starting.

...

The boy with the tangled, dirty black hair held himself tense as the foreign scent grew closer and closer to his hideout. He crouched with arms extended slightly at his sides, hands curled slightly as though he had claws. He leaned forward slightly, balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to pounce.

He could hear the heavy breathing as the other person continued forward…and came right for the cave! Green eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he held himself still. No reason to immediately think that the visitor was an enemy.

The scent grew stronger, just as a familiar shiver slid from his scalp to the base of his spine.

_No! Not yet!_

He couldn't transform now. He didn't know what was intruding on his hideaway, and whether it needed to be protected. He heard a faint groan of pain from the direction of the mouth of the cave, and he almost groaned in response. The shivering was starting, his bones were aching…

There was nothing for it. He felt the snap of his shoulders, and bit his cheek to keep from crying out as his shoulders hunched inward. His jaw popped, and he threw his head back, letting out a scream as the transformation continued beneath the full moon.

...

Moony could sense it. Another werewolf. The scent was familiar, yet foreign. As the transformation completed, he stretched his neck and flexed his paws. He sniffed the air, trying to smell the direction of the other wolf.

He heard a growl, and his darkened eyes found the source of the noise. A young black wolf stood on all fours, tensed and ready to spring at him, fur standing on end. Immediately the wolf recognized his cub – he'd been gone so long, and now the cub was defiant. He let out a growl in response. He was in charge here. What was his cub thinking in challenging him?

The smaller wolf let out a bark and leaped – Moony dodged to the side and whirled around, eyes flashing at the other wolf as said wolf landed on the ground where he'd been a moment ago and then turned to face Moony again.

_This place mine. _The small wolf snarled.

If a werewolf could laugh, Moony would've. As it was, he let out a short yip. _You **pup**. You challenge **me**?_

**_Mine!_ **The other wolf snarled again, fiercer this time, then leaped at Moony again. They tussled for a few moments before Moony knocked the pup back. The pup whimpered as its backcollided with the hard ground, but he was not to be deterred from the fight. He began to rise, but Moony knocked him back with a large paw and stood on all fours over him, trapping him as he closed his jaw around the cub's throat. His teeth pressed lightly against the small wolf's throat, just firm enough that the cub wouldn't move, panting as he asserted dominance over the younger wolf. If he closed his jaw completely together, he could kill the cub.

The pup squirmed for a moment, as though believing he could escape, but finally went limp under the larger werewolf, yielding to the alpha as a submissive whine escaped his throat. Moony remained for a moment longer, before lightly nipping the cub's furry throat and drawing back.

_Foolish cub, _Moony rumbled, though the way it was said seemed more affectionate than annoyed.

Said cub was now very submissive – he rolled over so his stomach was to the floor, and rested his head on his paws, ears pressed flat against his head as he cast his eyes away from his alpha. He seemed very ashamed now, not looking at the older wolf. Moony sat next to him and licked the top of his cub's head.

_**Ours** now,_ Moony said, and the pup lifted his head a bit tolick Moony's paw in thanks. As though not noticing this, Moony continued to lick his cub's fur clean.

Once he was finished, the cub had fallen into a contented sleep, head rested on his paws and curled in on himself, tail curled over his snout. Moony slipped down behind him, curling his body around his cub as though to keep him warm, despite the warmth of the cave. The pup shifted a little, pressing himself further into the larger werewolf, and then was still, only the rise and fall of his torso showing his rhythmic breaths. Moony let out a snort-like sound and closed his eyes, going to sleep. One ear remained trained upward, in case anything should come to harm his cub. He would be ready to protect.

...

A/N: Love it? Hate it? I don't have anymore written right now, so don't expect this frequent of an update all the time! :-)

Also! Very important: I want to have Harry give himself a new name – that is, he already gave himself a name, but he will state it in the next chapter. Please give me suggestions!

And speaking of reviews, I would like to give a shout out to **just1cause2im3amazing**, for having commented diligently on at least half of my stories, and still going! Everyone's reviews means so much, but it really makes me happy when one person is so interested in so many of my works! Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the United States! Also, I drew a picture (and put on Tumblr) that would go along with this chapter - I have the same username on there as I do on here, so please go check it out!**

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><p>When the normally very dirty boy regained consciousness after the transformation back to his human form, he noticed that he was quite a bit cleaner than normal. This was unusual – generally he was much dirtier after a full moon, due to running and rolling around in the forest. He didn't have any major wounds this time, either. Only the aching in his bones and his joints attested to the fact that he had, indeed, changed into his wolf form last night.<p>

He finally looked up from himself when he heard a groan – a very _human_ groan – coming from just a few feet away. Harry saw an older man, as naked as himself, just beginning to sit up as he regained consciousness, holding a palm to his obviously pounding head. He was perhaps thirty or so, and had scars criss-crossing the entire expanse of his body. Instantly the smell that had been assaulting his nose since he woke up registered – _werewolf_.

In a flash, he was standing over the older man, suspicious at once. What was another werewolf doing around _him_?

The man looked up at the sound of Harry standing over him, and peered at Harry through squinted, pained eyes. In a moment, the eyes had pierced through Harry, and the boy felt his knees weakening in response to his pack instincts. This man was Alpha – he was to obey him, he knew.

A moment later, anger coursed through him. He had thought for so long that he was special, that even though that – that _beast_ – had bit him, that he would never have to belong to an Alpha, that it was something in his genetic make-up that prevented it. And now this man came, and in one night he was his. He had thought he was safe.

Apparently that wasn't the case.

With a growl in his throat, he crouched down so that he was at eye-level with the other werewolf.

"Who are you?" he said threateningly, though he knew that with this werewolf as Alpha, he would never be able to really hurt him. Not unless it was to kill him to become Alpha himself.

The man was only staring at him – gaping, really. Harry could practically taste the shock rolling off of the scarred man.

"I said, _who – __**are**__ – you_?" he said, hoping his voice came out as menacing.

The man visibly swallowed, as though his throat was very dry. Then he croaked, "I'm – Remus. Or Moony."

The black-haired boy sneered. "Well, _Remus_," he said, "What gave you _any_ right to change with me last night and claim Alpha over me?!"

Remus' eyes widened in shock - or, more shock, anyway - while his eyes darted from the child's face, to his elbows, to his knees. Gaze shooting back up to look Harry in the eyes, he said, "How did this happen?"

The boy scowled. "You tell _me_," he bit out. "You're the one coming into _my_ territory here."

Remus shook his head, a cross between confusion and despair. "No," he croaked. "I meant - how did you become a werewolf? Who bit you?"

Harry hissed out in fury. "You may be my Alpha now," he said harshly (though knowing that he was skating on thin ice), "But we're not _friends_, and I'm not obligated to tell you _anything_."

Remus looked as though he'd aged several years in a moment. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, sadly. "I didn't mean..." He sighed. "How about we start over? My name's Remus. I've been looking for you for years now."

The boy's scowl deepened and his glare narrowed further. "Yeah, _thanks_ for that," he said sarcastically. "Clearly you knew I was without an Alpha. So, where's the rest of your _pack_?" He said the last word with disgust. "Why can't you just be happy with _them_?"

Remus blinked and sadness shrouded his features. After a couple of swallows, he said, "My pack has gone on. Your dad was one of them."

For the first time, the green-eyed boy's bitterness lifted, leaving only stunned shock behind. "My dad was a werewolf?" He said uncertainly, in a way that was much more akin to the ten-year-old child that he was.

"No, he wasn't a werewolf," Remus assured the boy. "He was an Animagus - he could change into a stag. We called him 'Prongs'."

"Who's 'we'?" Harry asked, losing his confrontational stance. "Were the rest of your pack werewolves, or animals like my dad?"

Remus shook his head, relieved that Harry was calming but also feeling sad and angry and betrayed at the loss of his friends in different ways so many years before.

"No, there was also a rat and a dog," he said simply, not caring to elaborate on who, exactly, they were. "And later when your mother married James, she essentially joined the pack as well, though she didn't spend full moons with us. When you were born, my wolf saw _you_ as part of the pack as well."

The frown began to make a comeback on Harry's face. "So that's why no other Alpha could claim me before? Because another Alpha already _had_?"

It wasn't really a question, but Remus nodded anyway. "I assume so," he said simply.

Harry's frown deepened into the scowl that was quickly becoming familiar to Remus. "So if you've been my Alpha since I was born, why did I have to go to the _Dursleys_'?"

Remus heard the betrayal in the boy's voice and could understand what he was trying to convey. He quickly tried to assure him.

"You have to understand, Harry - "

But he was swiftly cut off by the furious ten-year-old. "My name is _not_ Harry," he snarled, some of his wolf coming to the surface. "Harry is the name of the kid I was _before_, so don't you _dare_ try and use it on me!"

Remus blinked in astonishment but quickly pressed on. "Forgive me, cub. It is merely the name I have always known you as. What do you prefer to be called?"

Harry tossed his head in what could've been pride. "I'm known as Itzal among the wolf packs. I've always been on my own, and the rest of the packs only see bits of me at a time - that's why 'Shadow' is so perfect." He gave Remus a sharp glance. "Until _you_ came along, I could never really be identified out of my wolf form."

"Alright, Itzal," Remus said calmly, hoping that his compliance would calm the boy down. "The reason I couldn't take you instead of the Dursleys is _because_ I'm a werewolf. The Ministry of Magic - that's like the wizard's..."

"I _know_ what the Ministry of Magic is," Harry interrupted.

Remus nodded, appearing outwardly unfazed but inwardly wondering what sort of life the boy had lived. "Right. There are laws at the Ministry that prevent werewolves from adopting children, so it was completely out of my hands. I would've visited you - or, let you see me visiting you, for I went to see how you were doing many times without your knowing - but Dumbledore had put up all sorts of protection wards on Privet Drive that prevent trespassers. Being a werewolf, and therefore considered a Dark creature, we thought that my entering the wards would perhaps weaken them and allow others inside as well - others who wished you harm. If it had been at all possible, I would've taken you in a heartbeat."

Harry's stance was significantly calmer and less confrontational after this explanation. "Alright," he said grudgingly, finally sitting down, across from his Alpha. "I still think you should've done _something_, but at least you came searching _now_."

Remus' expression was one of enormous relief. "I swear to you, that even though I'm Alpha, I have no intention of being your dictator. All I want to do is get to know you again, and help you, and be a part of your life."

Harry's gaze narrowed, but it was more wary than it was angry. "How am I supposed to trust you? You left me once." _You could do it again_ was unspoken but clearly understood by the Alpha.

Said Alpha winced in guilt and pain at the boy's words. But there was no denying them. "I suppose we'll have to build up trust," Remus finally answered. "But I'll try – I only ask that you give me a chance."

"Fine," Harry bit out. But he didn't seem as angry as before. "But you better be _damn_ well sure you don't screw it up again."

The part that was Remus felt guilt and sadness at the harshly said parameters that were set. But the part that was Moony – still close to the surface after the full moon – saw the way it was demanded rather than requested as defiance from the pup. How _dare_ his cub treat him this way?! What right did he have to act like _he_ was the boss?!

The amber eyes darkened to a deep gold as he looked on at the cub, who was sitting before him with what he must've thought was a ferocious scowl, but in the wolf's eyes, just made him look like he was pouting.

Harry knew, even as he spoke the words, that he'd crossed the line between man and wolf. He had seen enough chastisements in the packs he'd run with to know what sort of "scoldings" they got. Oh, they didn't break bones or anything brutal like that, but Harry was in no mood to get in a tussle with the stronger wolf where he couldn't fight back – where fighting back would almost _certainly_ mean pain.

So, right after he'd said the words, he bowed his head instinctively, before he even fully realized what he was doing. The back of his neck was bared to the dominant wolf, vulnerable in a show of submission, while a canine whimper of apology slid past his lips. It was a show that said he was willing to take whatever punishment the Alpha would mete out, though a pup's acknowledgment of his wrongdoing typically had the effect of calming the stronger wolf.

There was a brief pause as Harry waited, heart pounding with a guilt the human part of him didn't want to feel, and then he felt a light cuff to the side of his head in punishment - not painful at all, really - before fingernails soothingly raked through his hair, clearly in forgiveness. For a moment, Harry's newfound pack instincts completely took over and he turned his head to nip lightly at the fingers. With the end of the Alpha's middle finger still caught playfully between the cub's front teeth, the cub turned his eyes to gaze into the Alpha's. The pup's eyes were trusting; the older wolf's were soft with amusement.

Then Harry's brain returned to him, and he pulled away from the older man, who was also blinking as though coming back to himself. The boy blushed in equal parts anger and embarrassment, and then without a word, jumped to his feet and ran out of the cave.

Remus watched him go sadly, knowing that the child needed some time alone for a bit.

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><p><strong>It would make me ever so happy if you REVIEWED!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait, but from now on I'll just warn you that the updates will generally come a lot slower than normal - maybe every couple of months - because I'm graduating high school on Thursday and then starting full-time employment, so I really don't know how busy I'll be. Fair warning now, but I do plan on finishing this. Promise. ;)**

**...**

Remus found Harry a few hours later, sitting at the base of a large tree. He had left Harry alone for a couple of hours, giving him some space, before he had the thought that perhaps Harry would try to run away if left alone too long. He rose quickly and followed the scent that Harry had left behind, realizing as he went that the trail was too easy - therefore, the child probably didn't plan on running.

However, when he found Harry calmly sitting under the large tree, he couldn't help the wave of relief that swept through him.

Harry looked upset, but not like he'd been crying. This worried him – if Harry hadn't been crying, he was burying his emotions. For a boy that young to be able to bury his emotions with such ease was concerning.

Harry didn't look up when Remus approached, so he took that as a go-ahead to get closer. He realized in the distant part of his brain that Harry had put on a pair of worn trousers in his absence; Remus had put on his own clothes after Harry had left as well as the human part of his brain pushed the wolf back and realized that it wasn't okay for a boy and a man twenty years older than the boy to be naked for long periods of time in each others' company. Their discussion had simply made Remus forget that.

He lowered himself to sit next to Harry, trying not to notice as the child scooted an almost imperceptible inch away.

"I'm sorry," Remus said after a long moment of silence. "I know now that I should've done more to help you in the beginning, but my own doubts are part of what held me back. I've said it already, but just to reiterate – I _don't_ plan on being your dictator. Think of me as...as an uncle. I..."

"Not uncle," Harry interrupted. "I don't care for uncles after Vernon."

"Alright," Remus nodded, outwardly calm but inwardly cursing the fat man he'd never liked. "How about an older brother, then? An older brother who only wants the best for his younger brother and will do anything short of murder to keep him happy."

The boy shrugged noncommittally, but he appeared to be at least a little pleased. If not pleased, then...accepting.

"How about we start by getting to know each other?" Remus suggested. "I'll tell you something about myself, and then you share something about yourself. Sound fair?"

Harry nodded. "Alright," he allowed, turning to face Remus almost subconsciously. "You first."

...

It wasn't easy, Remus realized, to get Harry to begin to trust him. Harry - or, Itzal, as he insisted - hadn't trusted anyone for most likely as long as he could remember, and so learning something so new would take a _very_ long time.

Remus didn't go back to the wizarding world or people in general in the following weeks - he stayed solely with Harry, trying to learn more about him and earn his trust, if not his friendship. They stayed in the forest, and Remus could see that Harry felt comfortable there. At first it confused Remus, but then it struck him - this was Harry's _home_. The forest was where Harry had been living for four years, even if it wasn't the same one every time.

At first Harry had been nothing short of skittish around Remus. He would flinch when Remus got too close, and he was always stiff and on his guard. It saddened the older werewolf, but he could understand. He was the unknown.

However, if there was ever a time to be grateful he was a werewolf, he knew it was now. It was his being the boy's Alpha that caused the wild side of Harry to trust Remus, and he knew how much the wolf's instincts could influence the wizard. Harry grew to be more trustful quicker than even Remus expected.

Of course, Harry was still defiant several times, but Remus was beginning to suspect that it was Harry's natural stubbornness shining through. He was a lot more like Lily than Remus had first realized. There had been a few times where even through Remus' seeming endless patience that he had felt ready to snap with Harry's unwillingness to believe that Remus only wanted the best for him, and didn't indeed want to control everything about him. But, he reflected, that was much like the same struggle that most parents had when their children became teenagers. It was only different with Harry because his belief was that wanting to control followed wanting to cause harm.

It was after one such exhausting day that Remus was coming back from securing the perimeter when he found Harry already asleep below the tree overhanging they'd decided to settle down in for the night. His upper body was leaned against the trunk - clearly he hadn't meant to fall asleep right there or so quickly.

Remus stopped and couldn't help staring at the boy. He looked so little, so small while he slept, and it reminded Remus once more that Harry was still just a little boy. His heart hurt at these thoughts - Harry didn't deserve this, being a werewolf and then being confused with an Alpha who was by and large a complete stranger to him. Already Harry had hardened his heart and his trust in others was severely diminished. A ten-year-old boy shouldn't know how to deliver such a fierce glare to a fully-grown man, but Harry was capable of that and more. He wished Harry could just act like the little boy that he was.

Remus knelt down in front of the child, knees cracking slightly as he was expecting the full moon again in one week and his old body was weakened. He gently lifted the boy away from the tree so that he wouldn't wake up sore, hand on the back of Harry's head to support it like he had when Harry was a baby. It was instinct more than anything, but it helped anyway as otherwise Harry probably would have woken by the sudden jerking if his head had flopped down.

Remus hadn't realized that Harry had tensed when Remus first touched him until his hand moved to the back of his neck and Harry instantly went limp. Remus recognized the sign - he remembered that a hand to the back of the neck was almost like a werewolf's show of dominance, while providing comfort and security to the cub they touched. The cub going limp was their instinct, like a pup to their mother. And while Remus knew that Harry was asleep and had no control over his wolf's submissiveness, he couldn't help but feel just a bit happy at the child's show of trust. It would still take some work, but half of Harry was already comfortable with Remus. Now it was just the other half that needed to trust him. Remus knew that that would be much harder than the wolf.

Remus carefully laid Harry down on the softer ground, and the boy shifted a bit after he had been set down before instinctively moving closer to Remus. Remus sighed quietly, his heart longing to feel the boy's love, and lied down next to Harry, dropping quickly off to sleep himself.

...

The pain was incredible. Joints popping, bones breaking - it was nothing new to him, but still he always seemed to forget the pain of being a werewolf until it came to the week leading up to and the week after transforming, though that was nothing compared to the excruciating agony when the moon first rose.

He screamed in pain as his shoulder blades expanded, rib cage widening to accommodate the larger heart and lungs. He heard his Alpha in pain a few feet away from him, and felt the overwhelming need to go to him. He still had most of his human mind though, and through the harmony of pain he recognized that it was merely his wolf responding to pack instinct. He felt a brief flare of disgust from his human mind at the thought before finally his mentality shifted, and his human side was smothered with the wolf's thoughts and instincts.

The pain in his joints was rapidly fading as the wolf's body chemicals fought the pain out. The young wolf cub panted heavily for a moment, and then when he heard the other wolf make a noise in its throat, he went over to his Alpha without a second thought. He nudged his head against his leg invitingly, asking him through that motion to come play with him. The wolf known as Moony shook his body briefly, as though shaking water from his fur, and then steadied his stance and walked from the cave, the cub trotting along contentedly beside him.

...

**I hope you loved it enough to REVIEW! I do need some ideas on how to move the story along a bit - I'll admit that this chapter was a bit dull, and I have a few ideas floating around in my head, but nothing definite. Any thoughts from you? I promise that even if you think it's stupid, it will probably help me at this point. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I have a concussion so I really shouldn't be on the computer. -_- But! - I got a sudden really good and exciting flash of inspiration last night and now I know where I can go with the story. :) Sorry for any grammar mistakes - I typed this out in a couple of hours because I was really excited to get it up. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Tstui1gos - maybe. Good idea. I don't know if my idea will go that direction, but if it does I'll be sure to include your ideas. ;)**

**Also, shout-out and thanks to Elizabeth . Barnes .3511 for her review that honestly helped me so much - this chapter is dedicated to you. :)**

**...**

The first worrying incident occurred just four days after the full moon. It had started out relatively normal and simple; Remus had awoken to Harry climbing the tree above him, dropping leaves over him along the way.

This was a regular thing for Harry - he liked climbing trees because he could see far and wide and he felt safer away from the rest of the forest's creatures. He had started climbing soon after he became a werewolf - and it wasn't as though there were really any other hobbies that he could engage in. He had been doing it so long now that he could climb to the top of any tree silently and in under a minute.

That morning, Remus had seen the slightly teasing expression on Harry's face when the boy had seen how he'd woken him up with the dropping leaves. He knew it was intentional, but he didn't mind. He was glad to see that Harry was becoming a bit more comfortable with every day that Remus was there.

But, like past times when he'd opened his expression in such a way, it closed off again seconds later. These days Harry didn't usually go straight back to a scowl, but there was usually a definite frown there.

Remus had sighed and informed Harry that he was going to find them some food. He had become proficient in the hunting of small animals like rabbits and birds in his time of gaining Harry's trust. And considering both of their werewolf sides, it was rather necessary to have meat frequently on hand for both of them - it was all they craved.

He had been gone for about an hour or so when his nose twitched. He was perhaps one or two miles away from where he had left the child, but his heightened senses allowed him to pick up the scent of smoke. He wouldn't have thought too much of it, but it was coming from the direction he'd left, and if it was a simple campfire the scent wouldn't be growing so strong so quickly.

In an instant he turned on his heel and Apparated back to where he'd left.

The scent of smoke and fire overpowered his senses immediately, and in an instant he could see why. The tree that Harry had been climbing earlier was completely engulfed in orange flames, somehow not lighting the other trees around it. It was just a pillar of crackling flames, from the visible roots of the tree to the uppermost branches.

His gaze darted to Harry, relieved to find him safely out of the tree, but there was an expression on his face that he'd never seen before. He was terrified. He was just staring into the fire, wide-eyed, the flickering of the flames reflected in his eyes. He appeared wholly unharmed, however, not even a fleck of soot on him or his clothing.

Harry hadn't noticed Remus arrive, the crack of Apparition drowned out by the roaring of the flames. As Remus hurried forward however, Harry's eyes snapped to him, and his expression of fear inexplicably increased. He backed away a couple of steps, but Remus didn't have any time to ponder this as he had already pulled out his wand and was now shooting flame-freezing charms at the tree. Several tense moments later, after Remus had finally succeeded in putting out the fire, he turned to Harry, slightly winded from the energy he'd used to put out the fire.

Clearly the fire was magically caused, probably the result of accidental magic. But why had it come out when Harry was alone? Had something upset him?

These questions whirling in his head, Remus' question came out like a demand. "What happened?"

Harry took a half-step back. "I'm sorry," he said immediately, and it was then that Remus noticed that Harry still looked terrified. "I didn't mean to. It was an accident, I'm sorry!"

"Yes, I understand that," Remus said, taking a couple of steps forward, moving slowly as though approaching a scared animal. "I just wanted to know what caused it. What happened?"

"I didn't mean to!" Harry said desperately, taking several steps back and hugging his arms to his chest. "It was an accident, I swear!"

"Har - Itzal," Remus corrected himself. "I know it was accidental magic - I just want to know why it needed to express itself in that form. What happened?"

Harry still didn't seem to have understood him. He backed up until he hit a tree, and flinched away right after, not having realized it was there. "I'm sorry, Uncle!" He cried, hunching in on himself as though to ward off blows. "I didn't mean to, I promise! I'll be better!"

"Itzal - " Remus started, crouching down in front of the child. His heart tore in pain at seeing Harry so upset and afraid.

The little boy had tears streaking down his dirty face, not hearing the Alpha through his pleas and apologies. "I won't do it again, Uncle! I'm sorry - I'll be good! I'll be a good wolf!"

Remus didn't bother trying to speak anymore - he wouldn't get through to the boy. Instead he reached out and gripped the back of Harry's neck, instantly grabbing his attention and causing his body to go still instinctively.

"I am not upset with you in _any_ way, Cub." He said gently, still gripping the boy's neck to keep his attention focused. "And I would _never_ hurt you intentionally, especially for something you couldn't control. I love you too much to do that, do you understand?" He slowly let go of the child's neck.

Harry kept his head bent for a moment, and then slowly looked up to gaze at Remus, eyes wary and confused. After a long pause, he blinked and said, "I'm sorry for freaking out like that. I've never done that before. I don't know why I..."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Itzal," Remus said easily but still confusedly. "Everyone gets scared at some point, and everyone has bouts of accidental magic. The important thing is that you didn't get hurt."

Harry would have protested that he hadn't been scared, but even he knew how obviously he had reacted, so he said nothing, staring at his hands with a creased eyebrow and a whirl of confused thoughts swirling around in his head.

"Darn," Remus said suddenly after a long pause of silence. "I brought food back, and I didn't even use the perfectly good fire in front of me to cook it!" Harry looked up at Remus confusedly, and then saw the comically exasperated expression on the older man's face and realized that he was half-joking.

"Now I just have to build another fire," Remus went on, looking back at the charred but otherwise okay tree. He clucked his tongue. "Such a waste of time. Could've had a bonfire with that."

Remus had been joking in an attempt to lighten Harry's mood, and he'd been watching Harry's expression from the corner of his eye as he spoke. Seeing Harry's lips quirk upward slightly, he counted it as a success.

Remus never found out exactly what had caused Harry to strike out with accidental magic that day, but that night after Harry had already fallen asleep he was reflecting on Harry's words during his panic attack.

Initially when it had happened, Remus had supposed that the 'uncle' Harry had been talking about had been Vernon. Harry had made it very clear over the past four and a half weeks how he had hated his relatives, and they likewise. Harry had even said when he's first met him that he didn't care for uncles, after Vernon.

But something didn't add up.

_"I'm sorry - I'll be good! I'll be a good wolf!"_

Why would the boy say he'd be a good _wolf_? He hadn't been bitten until after he'd left the Dursleys - if he'd been having a flashback about the Dursleys, he might've said '_boy_', but that wasn't the case here. And it was confusing the hell out of him.

It might have made sense that he was having a flashback about his werewolf days, perhaps with the person who had bit him - except that he still called him 'uncle'.

The real reason was probably a lot more ominous than anything he could come up with.

So, confused thoughts swirling in his head, Remus finally pushed it from his mind enough that he could drop off into an uneasy sleep.

...

**What do you guys think is going on with Harry? Please leave me a nice little review and let me know! :) Honestly, EVERY review means a lot to me - even a simple "great chapter" helps me tremendously!**


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